The single most compelling storyline of the 2015-16 NBA season was whether the Golden State Warriors would break the record for the most wins during the regular season. Of course, they accomplished this, going 73-9 to eclipse the mark set by the 72-win Chicago Bulls from 1995-96.
But once the year ended, there was plenty of debate as to whether this record meant anything after the Warriors lost out on a championship. While it was certainly an impressive accomplishment, in the eyes of Michael Jordan, it was a hollow one.
Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob appeared on a radio program on Tuesday to discuss this subject. According to Lacob, he had a run-in with Michael Jordan and said that it hurt when Jordan told him the lack of a title meant the wins record meant nothing.
“On the collective bargaining agreement, I was on the labor committee and I was in New York having a bunch of dinners with Michael Jordan and other owners,” Lacob said. “There were six of us. Actually, Dan was one of them, Dan Gilbert. Anyway, Michael Jordan — people are drinking and having a good time and all that, but there was a moment where he said, you know, ’73 don’t mean sh*t.’ He did it, Michael Jordan did that. And I looked at him and I just decided not to make a big deal of it. I said, you know, you’re right, we didn’t win it, we had to get better.
This isn’t really a huge surprise, as the biggest argument against Golden State in the “Warriors vs. Bulls” debate is that Chicago won a ring while the Dubs did not. No one is shocked that Jordan – who, you know, played on said Bulls team and values championship rings – would hold this opinion.
Oh, also, as anyone who ever watched him play knows, Jordan is one of the greatest trash talkers to ever live. It’s nice to see his ability to talk ruthless junk hasn’t gone away since his retirement.
Source: CBS Sports